i have the right to remain silent/ the right to
have the typewriter pushed off the top of the
cabinet so it falls on my shoulders/ the right
to receive a telephone book blow to the face/
the right to have my head pushed down the
cell toilet/ the right to remain silent whilst
avoiding the violence in our relationship/ whilst
remaining inconspicuous/ whilst planning my
escape/ whilst observing my mother's silence
& tears on the flight back to sydney/ & her
looking out across the silent snowy clouds/ she
'had a bit of a cry' in her own words/ she said
'lovey keep away from cops/ i was married to
one for thirteen years/ you'll get a bad name in
the force if you sleep with any of them'/ well i
hope so/ i wouldn't want a good name/ & besides
if all else fails i have the right to remain silent/
when i am being robbed blind by infatuation/
when my crooked solicitor is ripping me off &
i can't afford a barrister/ my nan said 'so you
want to go out with a policeman/ well you're
aiming low'/ she added 'solicitors & cops are
the lowest on my list'/ but i had the right to
remain silent & then she was silent/ watching
the latest police shootings on the 7.30 report/
the bashing of the protesters/ the findings of
corruption/ the bribery & dishonesty/ if they
went into the force to help the society/ then
this was not the way to do it/ nan said 'i even
know what they're up to with the sound
switched down & i'm just a member of the
public'/ she was looking at me shaking her
head/ but the policeman said 'the media gives
us a bad image, no one knows what we go
through, or who we are or the good things
we do/ but then again, the real enemies are
from within/ but don't quote me on that'
